The first real case femme fatale turned private eye, Eva Thorne, has had in months may be more than she can handle. King Rutgard has been kidnapped, only he’s not entirely alive, which makes finding him difficult. What’s more, dwarf men are joining the suffragist movement in droves to win freedom from the matriarchy, and there’s a werewolf terrorist in town causing chaos. Eva needs a case like this to make her reputation, but she has problems of her own. Dark magic is rising in her, the Thorne legacy, and she can’t control it. She has to find a way or risk imprisonment by the jackbooted elf soldiers who are cracking down on illegal necromancy and worship of the Dead God. Worse, the God of Death wants her soul, as does her twin sister, so Eva denies her magic and hides from her family. But some things are impossible to hide from, like the tax collector … and love.

“You only fear what you do not know.”

My reaction after reading this book:

After reading Ate Claire’s (I call her Ate Claire, “ate” as big sister in Filipino) review of this book months ago, I felt so giddy to start it because I found the previous book really enjoyable. (Click her name to read her thoughts! :))

A Thorne for a Crown is the second installment of Eva Thorne series. I expected this book to be a lot more action-packed. I was right. It was filled with particularly exciting action scenes and adventures. What I didn’t expect was how it’s going to be better than the first book, Tangle of Thornes, when it comes to the storyline and the mc’s character development. In this sequel, our heroine Eva Thorne begins her journey as a detective, investigating the reported disappearance of the dwarf king, King Rutgard. She’s now smarter, confident, and independent. More developed compared to her character in the previous book.

What made me appreciate this book more was the thrill it gave me when magical creatures such as werewolves, beasts,and even dragons were highlighted apart from dwarfs. The authors sure did an amazing job in engaging me with its mythical characters, dazzling plotline, and lots of humor. In addition, I appreciate Eva’s romantic involvement with certain characters. I personally ship Eva and Conrad, by the way. I thought they look cute together and the way they work as a team was remarkable. Can they just end up together, please?

I have to give the authors credits for that cliffhanger in the end. That totally stunned me. This book, as a whole, offered a real surprise to me. It was better than what I’ve expected. I’m looking forward to reading the third installment. 🙂

(Thank you to the authors for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!)